Prime accused in incident of attack on police, magistrate arrested in Odisha

The main accused in the incident of attack on police and a magistrate during an unauthorised rally in Odisha’s Bhadrak town on September 27, has been arrested, an officer said on Tuesday.

A team led by Additional Superintendent of Police of Bhadrak district Anshuman Dwibedi arrested the prime accused from Bhadrak town almost three months after the incident.

According to Dwibedi, the main accused and a group of people had organised a rally near Santhia Bridge without prior permission from the administration.

The group resorted to violence, setting tyres on fire and blocking the police from performing their duties, he said.

The mob had also vandalised government vehicles and resorted to pelting the police with stones when the personnel intervened to stop the unauthorised rally, resulting in injuries to the Bhadrak Tehsildar, who was on duty as a magistrate and two police officers, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), he said.

Following the incident, multiple complaints were filed against him at Saharanchal and Purunabazar police stations.

He had been absconding since the incident, the police officer said.

When the accused reached a local court on Monday to seek bail in an unrelated case, the police reached the spot and arrested him, he said.